Eternal Punishment?

[steve7150]

Would conditional immortality/annihilation according to those like Stott, Pinnock, etc be the same as that of Jehovah's witnesses?Troy




I think the JWs believe some really wicked are never raised at all & the rest of the unbelievers are raised to be tested and if they pass they inherit eternal life on earth. They believe only 144K occupy heaven.

[Paidion]

Are you asking whether their view of conditional immortality/annihilation is the same view as that of JWs?
If so, I would say "Yes". But that doesn't mean that we should classify them as we might classify JWs. It just happens that they hold one similar belief.

The opposite of conditional immortality seems to be that people are naturally immortal or have "immortal souls" as in Greek philosophy. Even I, a believer in universal reconciliation to God, do not believe we are naturally immortal. It is written that God alone has immortality.

[Adamoverseer]

I havn't heard of Stott, Pinnock, But the belief system should be the same weather your talking to a JW or a 7th day adventist. While I am neither, (non-denominational) I am a annihilationist. After listining to Steve Greggs teaching on it and looking up the versus for my self I lean in favor towards annihilationist. Which ever view you hold it is important to note that Jesus said in Mark 9:45 if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than having your two feet, to be cast into hell. Basically avoid it at all cost. That paticular word hell used here is translated from gehenna. While Gehenna is a actual place also know as the valley of Hinniom (don't quote spelling) just below the southern wall of ancient Jerusalem. In my Opionion Jesus wasn't using this word literally. He was using a Motif that his listeners would be familar with. We all know the story behind it. To paraphrase Gods people fell into to worship of Molic (don't quote spelling) a worship involving burning your young children alive on a alter to him while having orgies and playing loud music to drown out the screaming. God tolerated this for 400 years, (Jer 7:31) but along came Jeremiah and turned it into the valley of slaughter. A imagery of rotting bodies and sulfer being burning perpetually as a disinfectent. Where worms don't die sounds like to me that there was an adbundant supply of worms. Now. The listeners of Jesus would have a visual representative to associate with hell. in my opinion Death. Romans 6:23 the wages of sin is death. Matt 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Jude 1:7 "in a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire" They serve as an example?? but there's nothing left of them?? Thats right! This is just a few out of many passages.

[steve7150]

They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire" They serve as an example?? but there's nothing left of them?? Thats right! This is just a few out of many passages.Adamoverse







There is nothing left of them now but on the day of judgment everyone is raised to judgment and then what? Are they raised to judgment only to be annihilated again, or can judgment be a more comprehensive process?